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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376633
Research Project: Advanced Development of Innovative Technologies and Systematic Approaches to Foodborne Hazard Detection and Characterization for Improving Food Safety

Location: Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens

Title: Microbes as a tool to defend against antibiotic resistance in food animal production

Author
item BHUNIA, A - Purdue University

Submitted to: Indian Journal of Animal Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/2019
Publication Date: 12/1/2019
Citation: Bhunia, A.K. 2019. Microbes as a tool to defend against antibiotic resistance in food animal production. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences. 58(2). https://doi.org/10.36062/ijah.58.2SPL.2019.01-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36062/ijah.58.2SPL.2019.01-18

Interpretive Summary: Antibiotic-resistance is now considered a major global public health threat. It is largely attributed to indiscriminate use or misuse of antibiotics in food animal production, human medicine, and agriculture. Scientists are constantly looking for answers to provide effective and safe alternatives to overcome this growing problem. In this review article, alternatives to antibiotics were summarized including those of microbial origin such as bacteriophages, undefined or defined mixed microbial cultures, probiotic bacteria, and bioengineered microbes. Microbes to fight against antibiotic resistance may be a viable and rational approach to alleviate the antibiotic resistance crisis.

Technical Abstract: The antibiotic-resistant microbial community collectively referred to as antibiotic resistome is on the rise and largely attributed to indiscriminate use or misuse of antibiotics in food animal production, human medicine and in agriculture. Scientists are constantly looking for an answer to provide an effective and safe alternative to overcome the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. The best practice would be to reduce antibiotics use; however, it may not be adequate. Antimicrobials are necessary for food animal production, and treatment of diseases; therefore, alternative strategies must be employed. Plant or animal-derived antimicrobials, organic acids, prebiotics, immunostimulants, and new generation eco-friendly antibiotics have been proposed. Are they effective and credible to lessen our global antibiotic resistance crisis? In recent years, however, the use of microbes as a tool to defend against antibiotic resistome is gathering momentum. These microbes include bacteriophages, undefined or defined mixed microbial cultures, probiotic bacteria, and bioengineered microbes which may be able to reduce our dependence on antibiotics in food animal production and alleviate antibiotic resistance crisis.